Short Summary

The Retail Trading Standards Association demonstrate some of the rigorous tests carried out on fabric.

Description

Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire.

M/S of a laboratory, a young woman in a white lab coat, Susan Eycott, enters and opens a metal door of one of three large barrel shaped machines. C/U of the door being opened. Inside strips of fabric are being rotated in front of an artificial sun lamp. C/U of the strips of fabric rotating. The narrator explains that the machine is a fadeometer and it's purpose is to measure how quickly different types of fabric fade. C/U of Susan's face. C/U of Susan's hands unhooking the strips from the fadeometer before shutting the metal doors. The narrator explains this is one of the tests carried out at the laboratories of the Retail Trading Standards Association (R.T.S.A.). M/S of Susan walking away from the fadeometer.

M/S of two women, Geraldine Cuttliffe/ Cutcliffe and Maureen Warren, dressed in white lab coats sitting at a table examining large pieces of fabric. M/S of Geraldine cutting a piece of fabric from a floral dress. The narrator comments "it may seem rather drastic to cut up brand new dresses but it's a good cause - the customers' protection". Geraldine passes the cut sample to Maureen who staples a label to the sample. C/U of Maureen writing on the label before placing it onto a pile of other samples. C/U of Maureen writing.

C/U of a section of patterned carpet lying on a desk. Tilt up to Maureen Flay/ Flaye dissecting another section of carpet. The narrator points out that many traders have been prosecuted for mislabelling their goods as a result of this type of research. C/U of the separate piles of fibre and string. She stops dissecting, turns the section of carpet over examines it closely through a microscope. She then makes a note in a large exercise book. C/U of Maureen F.'s face. C/U of Maureen F.'s hands dissecting the carpet sample using tweezers. Maureen F. is testing the carpet to ascertain the percentage of pile and the strength of the backing.

Low angle shot of a giant shower head. Top shot of four sections of waterproof fabric, stretched over circular frames, rotating under the shower of water. C/U of the water coming out of the shower. C/U of the fabric getting soaked. The purpose of this experiment is to assess "whether a suitable rain resistant finish has been applied, and whether the fabric itself is of a suitable construction".

M/S of a woman in a white lab coat stands in front of one of two machines designed to test the tensile strength of fabric. Ivy Buckett enters and clamps a sample of tartan fabric onto the machine. C/U of Ivy as she adjusts the clamp. C/U of Ivy's hand pulling a lever. C/U of the fabric being stretched. C/U of a dial moving. C/U of a line of a graph moving slowly upwards. Various C/Us of the fabric,dial, the graph line and Ivy. C/U of the fabric tearing under the strain.

M/S of an abrasion machine. Dilys Skerm enters and adjusts the controls. C/U of a sample being rubbed by a brass weight to simulate everyday wear and tear. M/S of Dilys opening the machine to examine how the different samples have faired. Various C/Us of Dilys and of Dilys' hands as she examines sections of red fabric worn almost to tatters by the machine.

M/S of Ann Russell placing a sample of fabric onto the bursting machine. Behind her on a rack hang various different fabric samples. The narrator explains that this machine is useful for certain knitted material which can not be tested by stretching. An expanding balloon under the fabric tests its bursting point. Ann releases a wheel to lift a glass dome and remove the sample. C/U of Ann as she works. C/U of a dial moving. C/U of the fabric bursting under the glass.

Please note according to the paperwork there are several variations in the spelling of some of the girls' surnames.